flickering stars
by the alphabet soup
Summary: They could be on different continents but somehow they would still know what the other was going through. Nine/Marina
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lorien Legacies.

**Title:** flickering stars

**Summary:** They could be on different continents but somehow they would still know what the other was going through. Nine/Marina

**Notes:** Playing around with the Nine/Marina pairing. I still ship Navrina with all my being, but Nine/Marina is so angsty I can't help but be gravitated towards it.

* * *

Her eyes were clouded with a grief that was unmatched by her anger. Whenever he looked at her, he could tell that she was still hurting inside even after two months had passed. He didn't blame her. Oh, he wanted to. He wanted to tell her to forget about it and get over Eight's death, but he would just be a hypocrite. He had originally assumed Eight's death would have made him stronger as time went on. Apparently not.

While her eyes may have reflected the pain she was trying to keep buried inside, her fighting had definitely improved. Her new Legacy was proving to be more and more useful with each passing day. Her aim with the ice daggers was almost perfect, although her hand-to-hand combat still needed some work. It isn't like they can work on that consistently though since his safe house was destroyed (he's still bitter about that, and mostly because it annoys John). Six helps her train along with him, and even Six admits that Marina might show her up once if she continues to practice with her Legacies.

* * *

The first time that they reunited with John, Sarah, Sam, and Malcolm, the realization of Eight's death and Five's betrayal had etched horrified expressions onto all four of their faces. Then the word of Ella's kidnapping had been said, then denied in a gasp by Marina, and Nine couldn't fathom what she would have been feeling at that moment. He might have had a slight idea but he wouldn't have known the extent of it.

* * *

Her fists would clench every time someone mentioned Eight's name, whether accidental or purposely. Her fists would clench and the air would adapt a cold sensation that didn't match the heartbreak she felt deep inside her. But then they would unclench and she would act as if nothing had happened as the atmosphere returned to its original temperature and whoever was speaking continued with a slightly more cautious tone. She was trying to be strong but everyone knew how she was feeling. They were basically just watching someone wounded ignore their wound even as it took away their life.

* * *

Four months after Eight had died, they had rescued Ella. Terrified and whimpering and small and fragile Ella who had only just been informed that she wasn't a part of the plan to save Lorien only four months previously. Ella, whose innocence had been ripped away from her the moment she learned about the war, wasn't as scared as she was before. Ella who was too mature for her age and who deserved her childhood the most out of all of them. His anger towards the Mogs only grew when she told them what they had done.

"...tried to brainwash me. Kept saying, 'heir, heir, heir' over and over. They wanted me to forget about all of you. They wanted me to want to_ kill_ you!"

Kill. Never had he been so wary of that word.

* * *

Ten months after Eight's death, Sam had nearly died. It was an accident and Marina had apologized profusely and Sam said it was fine, but it was obvious the human was still shook up. Apparently Marina wasn't in full control of her Legacies like everyone thought. It wasn't like they had been attacked by Mogs in a while, though, so there wasn't much to practice with.

* * *

Watching her control her Legacies was a sight to see. She possessed an elegance like Six, but hers seemed more practiced and not natural. Her movements were fluid like water, and she took care practicing using her Legacies. Cyrokinesis might have been the only true fighting Legacy she had, but coupled with her other Legacies she was a true threat.

This was about the first time he actually noticed her.

* * *

One year after Eight had died Nine was beginning to notice what Eight had seen in Marina. Sure, he had noticed that she was pretty before, but she was off limits and he didn't really notice anything else about her. She wasn't badass like Six and she wasn't as near as pretty as Sarah, and honestly that was about all he noticed about girls.

Then Eight died and things became confusing. Confusing because he was partially responsible for his death and he was angry and guilt-ridden and he didn't know what else to think. He had been defeated. By a traitor. It was like all those years of training had been for nothing.

* * *

One year and three months after Eight's death, he had been sitting in a dirty hotel room as midnight. His thoughts were swirling around him and he had nothing to take his mind off them. He was basically a pity party at night. It was quite embarrassing.

He had been sitting in a dirty hotel room by himself, debating whether or not he should leave to clear his head even though that might have been idiotic, when the door opened and immediately he got into a fighting stance. But it was just Marina who stepped inside and looked like she had been thinking over something for a very long time. That was when he actually looked at her for the first time. Her brown hair was tied into a sloppy ponytail; some strands of hair had escaped and framed her face. Her eyes were attempting to look passive but the pain was escaping like a water leaking through a dam. She was still hurting from Eight's death and he didn't know whether anyone had tried to help her. He didn't know whether they had, but it hadn't been helpful at all.

Then she spoke in a quiet yet clear voice: "He wouldn't have blamed you."

He had the audacity to deny whatever she was talking about. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Her eyes ran him over and a frown appeared on her face. "He wouldn't have blamed you, Nine. I don't." He tried to swallow but something dry in his throat was stuck there, and he had the desire to deny that this was happening, to deny that his walls had failed and to deny that this was happening. He didn't deserve to be in her presence because it _was_ his fault. He wasn't accustomed to regret but he regretted those words and he regretted not realizing the bastard had been deceiving them this whole time and he regretted not preparing for this and he regretted it all.

"Yes, he would have." he replied because he wasn't about to intentionally bare his soul to her.

* * *

One week after their "meeting" he started watching her fight. Be it Mogs or idiot humans she was amazing. He didn't want to admit it - she had loved Eight; he couldn't fill in that role - but he might have been noticing her more than Six. She was broken and damaged and he knew why and he understood. It was strange. A damaged person longing for someone as equally damaged at them. But he guessed it made sense.

"Nice moves, Ice Queen." he complimented as the Mog turned into ash from an ice dagger to the heart and he swore he saw a small smile on her lips.

* * *

One month after their "meeting" and he noticed her crying. He pretended it wasn't happening at first because yeah, he's still a bit of an ass, but it's more because he doesn't know what to do when she's crying. Crying is the result of emotions and he's learned to suppress emotions because they only get in the way so how does he react in this situation?

He didn't do anything at first, but no one else was around so he'd _really_ look like an ass so he walked up to her. She tried to stop the tears that streamed down her face and she was so vulnerable that it almost made something inside him break because how do you help someone like this? How do you help someone when you're basically the instigator of their problems even though they won't admit it and for the first time he feels helpless. She was crying and he was speechless and they don't fit like puzzle pieces but something about her attracts him towards her.

"I miss him, too." he admitted and she looked up and she swallowed and she nodded like she was understanding something.

"It wasn't your fault." she repeated for the third time since Five's betrayal and Eight's death and suddenly he feels as if a burden has been lifted from his shoulders. But he still didn't know how to respond and they just sat on a couch in a gross hotel room, their thoughts almost similar but not yet on the same wavelength.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Lorien Legacies.

**Note:** May or may not turn this into a full length fic. Depends upon how much my muse visits me and when I update my two other multi-chapter fics.

* * *

Had he payed more attention, he might have noticed the beginning of a fresh cherry-pink blossom sprouting in her voice as she spoke of Eight. What he did notice was the way her eyes lit up, then began to dim when the realization of his death hit her again like a slap to the face; the way her lips formed his name like a caress and how her face softened to remember the memory of his eyes.

He _wasn't_ jealous. He merely wished his lips had been given a chance to greet hers before Eight's did.

* * *

Her hand found his once since he admitted two weeks ago to missing Eight. Before this happened - Ella's kidnapping, Eight's death, Five's betrayal - a smug smile would have appeared on his face and he would have made some off hand comment. Now, he was convinced it was an accident and barely even reacted when she took her hand away as she realized those weren't Eight's fingers entwining with hers.

* * *

"Nine, are you listening?"

John's voice was the personification of annoyance - and there was even a dash of anger in the mixture. His blue eyes were rimmed with dark circles from sleepless nights which all of them, not just the Loric, experienced nights on end. His eyes flickered over to Six, then Sam, who looked as annoyed as John, and it was only then he realized he had no idea what they were all doing here in a small, cramped hotel room that was, as far as hotel rooms go, in good condition.

Sarah whispered something in John's ear that made his eyes widen slightly, and his annoyed expression softened and he ignored the fact that he had called Nine out on not paying attention to what was happening only a minute before. Then the Mog and Six started talking again, and Marina joined in one or twice along with Ella, and Nine finally gathered why the hell he was here.

"You're going to storm a Mog base?" The incredulous tone wasn't his intention but the words already escaped his lips; he couldn't take them back. The others looked at him with expressions that gave away nothing, and he glanced at Marina because she will always tell the truth out of everyone here.

But her eyes refused to acknowledge anything.

* * *

"They're wary around you right now." her quiet voice admitted in his own hotel room of nearly perfect condition. Her eyes met his and the corners of her lips turned up in a sad, foolish smile. "They're wary around me, too."

"Well, the others weren't very bright to begin with." he replied with a hint of sarcasm that felt too forced like a square block trying to fit through a circular space, and her eyes only looked down before they met his again. He knew why the others gave him hurried looks when they didn't think he was paying attention, and he knew how the others, especially Ella, looked at Marina as if she was made of glass. It wasn't a secret that Eight's death affected them the most but to have the others look at them as if they were anticipating one of them finally snapping was both frustrating and strangely familiar.

"Are you going to tell them about your objections?" Too many questions had been thrown his general direction, and for once he wanted them to stop, but he didn't have the words to make it happen.

"There isn't anything to object. They want to storm a base, then I'm all for it. You can never kill too many Mogs." From the expression on her face it was clear she could see right through him. She said nothing for which he is grateful; it is only when left that he realized how much he wanted her to speak up.

* * *

"You're _joking_." His voice broke through the silence in John's hotel room - Sarah, who sat on the bed, took this as her sign to leave and left the room - and the blond looked at him in surprise.

"Nine, I figured you would rejoice at the prospect of destroying another Mog base." John's voice is, once again, annoyed, but Nine swears that a hint of misdirected fear lies in his voice. Fear mixed with finality.

"Yes, Johnny boy, I'm all for killing the Mogs, but do you realize how ridiculously unprepared we are? For someone as smart as you, you've made some pretty half-assed decisions in the past that make me reluctant to trust your judgement." All at once everything he's been holding in came out without a brake, and Nine felt as if he was in the heart of a battle.

But this time he forgot who the enemy was.

"You were the one who let Ella get captured in favor of Sam's father. Ella, who might have been killed by some insane experiment, Ella, who's the youngest out of all of us, therefore the most easily influenced by the Mogs and susceptible to the brainwashing they attempted on her! Use your goddamn brain, Four, and get rid of the heart in your chest." John's eyes looked beyond angry but he did nothing because the door opened and Marina stood there, her arms crossed over her chest.

She looked not at Nine, but at John. "He's right, John." she informed him with a sad note to her voice. "It would be in our best interest to attack small sections first and gather intelligence. We've destroyed enough bases recently that the Mogs will be tracking us. It would be best to lie low for now." John looked at her and nodded.

"You're right. I'll tell the others, Marina. Thanks." He walked out of the room, his posture tense and Nine felt as if a weight was pushing down on his chest when Marina looked at him with a blank expression. "Ella's capture wasn't his fault." she replied, but he noticed the falter in her voice that signified she didn't believe those words. But he didn't want to get into this argument with her despite them both knowing how John's intelligence was lacking lately.

"How is Ella?" he asked as an afterthought. He hadn't spoken to her since the group had been so busy attacking smaller Mog bases and jumping from hotel to hotel to clean their tracks. They've needed to be even more careful since Five knows exactly how they work.

Marina swallowed and she looked away as if trying to find an answer. Her brown eyes looked utterly confused, angry, and lost; he had the impulsive thought to take her in his arms which she would never accept, so he let the thought filter out of his mind. "She's coping like all of us. You should talk to her when you find the chance." Her words were carefully spoken with the intent to hide him from the truth.

"I will." he promised, and he was graced with the ability to see a small smile on her lips, and the idea that she might be getting better decided to lodge itself in his head.


End file.
